Here's a list of the first couple of dozen or so slated for preservation this year, though Variety also said that among these are “'The Reckless Age' (1924), a flapper feature starring Reginald Denny; and the crime melodrama 'For the Defense' (1922) starring ZaSu Pitts."

I guess this likely gives us at least a partial idea of what a Treasures VIII set could look like (or Treasures VII if the planned avant-garde set is still held up for the foreseeable future).

Updated, 5:55 a.m.ET | In a gesture that could help ease relations between Norway and China, strained since the awarding of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to the imprisoned democracy advocate Liu Xiaobo, the National Library of Norway has returned a long-lost Chinese silent film.

A print of “The Cave of the Silken Web,” released in 1927 during a vibrant era in Chinese filmmaking, was discovered in the library’s archives in 2011. It is believed to be the only existing copy of the film, which was directed by Dan Duyu and is based on an episode from the Chinese classic novel “Journey to the West.”

Roger Josevold, the acting national librarian, presented the restored film to the China Film Archive in Beijing on Tuesday, according to the National Library of Norway’s website. The government-affiliated archive documents Chinese film history and preserves and restores classic films.

“The Cave of the Silken Web,” or Pan Si Dong (盘丝洞) in Chinese, received its Norwegian premiere in Oslo in January 1929, with Norwegian and Chinese subtitles, according to Agence France-Presse. It was the first Chinese film to be shown in Norway, Yang Lina, of the China Film Archive, said in an interview.

To mark the film’s return, she said, the archive was holding a public screening of the film Tuesday evening, with live piano accompaniment.

Surviving Chinese films from that era are a rarity today. The film industry in mainland China enjoyed vigorous growth in the early 20th century, with prominent studios in Shanghai churning out hugely popular romance, martial arts and dramatic films. After 1949, however, when the Communists emerged victorious from the civil war, filmmaking became a vehicle less for entertainment than for political rallying.

Since the 1990s, the industry has seen a resurgence along with China’s broader economic liberalization and opening up. The government also now recognizes filmmaking as an important tool of cultural influence.

The return of the film follows another restoration of historical relics from Norway to China. Under an agreement reached in December, a Norwegian museum announced it was returning seven columns taken from the old Summer Palace in Beijing, which were acquired by a Norwegian cavalry officer more than a century ago.

These moves may help pave the way for the resumption of regular diplomatic contacts between China and Norway. China suspended bilateral talks with Norway after the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Peace Prize to Mr. Liu, who is serving an 11-year prison term for helping to write the political manifesto Charter 08.

Beijing demanded an apology from the Norwegian government, which insisted that even though the Nobel Committee is appointed by the Norwegian Parliament, it has no control over the awarding of the prize and therefore could not apologize. However, the Norwegian foreign minister, Borge Brende, who took office last October, has publicly called improving ties with China a key priority.

NY Times wrote:For decades, the seven reels from 1913 lay unexamined in the film archives of the Museum of Modern Art. Now, after years of research, a historic find has emerged: what MoMA curators say is the earliest surviving footage for a feature film with a black cast.

The current situation with The Alamo (as summarised from the posts made by Robert Harris over at HTF) is that MGM have contracted HTV to telecine and colour-correct the lone 70mm roadshow print for possible Blu-Ray release. The only problem with this is that the roadshow version is already beyond a proper restoration, the existing elements can be used to create a decent looking Blu-Ray but nothing beyond that.

The original elements for the shorter release version are what desperately need a restoration if they are to be viable for any type of large format screening (4K, 70mm) in the future. MGM currently believes that the elements are pristine and require no preservation efforts whatsoever.

There's plenty of extra details available from Mr Harris at the 55-page thread over on HTF but it currently resembles a gargantuan pit of despair and may be hazardous to your health.

The news has finally broken about the discovery and restoration several months ago of a missing Oswald the Lucky Rabbit found in Norway, “Empty Socks”, which apparently is the first Christmas themed Disney production.

A friend of mine was involved with the discovery and he has confirmed that this is not the original 1927 silent version, but a 1930s reissue with synchronized soundtrack.

The film will be screened in Oslo on December 17th with another Oswald short Tall Timber. I am very much looking forward to attending this event.

I am huge fan of japanesese cinematography, especially the 60-70 decades, and my mind considers the fact than one of films of Master Masaki Kobayashi named "Nippon-no seishun" AKA "Hymn to a tired man" has never been releasted on dvd or any other medium. The picture was filmed in the top condition od Masaki Kobayayashi in year 1968 and a large number of cinemaniacs are craving to see this movie in any quality. Are there any chances for DVD release of this film in the immediate future?
I would be most grateful if you would look into this matter.